Hydraulic selector valve mechanism for hydraulic servomotors



March 23, 1948. s. H. EDGE 2,438,389

HYDRAULIC SELECTOR VALVE MECHANISM FOR HYIQJRAULIC SERVOMOTORS Filed Dec. 10, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 I Inventor A Horney Inventor uv-M Q47 Attorneys 4 Shebts-Sheet 2 5. H. EDG-E B MWQQQ 0 Filed Dec. 10, 1942 w M v HQ Q Wfigg F/#// a March 23, 1948.

HYDRAULIC SELECTOR VALVE MECHANISM FOR HYDRAULIC SERVOMOTORS March 23, 1948. s, EDGE' 2,438,389

mnawuc smac'ron VALVE MECHANISM FOR nynmumc sERvoMoToRs Filed Dec. 10, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet a 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Inventor A tlqrney;

S. H. EDGE Filed Dec. 10, 1942 HYDRAULIC SELECTOR VALVE MECHANISM FOR HYDRAULIC SERVOMOTORS such operations as starting,

' with a control Figs; 2 and 3.

housing 4 and return Patented Mar. 23., 1948 HYDRAULIC SELECT R VALVE MECHANISM FOR HYDRAULIC SERVOMOTORS Stanley Howard Edge,

Lincoln, England Application December 10, 1942, Serial No. 468,566

In Great Britai 11 October 20, 1941 6 Claims. (C1. 60-97) This invention relates to hydraulic mechanism for controlling the operations of machinery and machine components of all kinds and has for its lector valve mechanism applicable to hydraulic actuating systems wherein the power developed in a continuously lisedto apply a graduated pressure for effecting stopping, speed variation, control of gun turrets, the elevation of guns, the steering of vehicles and the control of clutches as well as a variety of other applications demanding a multiplicity of operational motions combined with'delicacy of control.

The invention consists in hydraulic control mechanism comprising a power operated hydraulic circuit, an external actuated controlling reaction valve, a number of hydraulic servomotors, means actuated by said reaction valve to divert the power available in the hydraulic circuit to operate the said servomotors and a selector device constructed to enable the said servomotors to be independently operated and controlled.

According to the preferred form of the invention a control device for hydraulic operating mechamsm comprises a shut-off valve adapted to interrupt a hydraulic circuit, a number of selector valves each controlling the flow of fluid to a hydraulic servomotor, common operating means adapted to close the shut-off valve and simultaneously operate any one or more of said selector valves for the purpose oi diverting the power available in the circuit to or motors.

Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate by way of ex-' ample arrangements according to the invention and in which Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a hydraulic circuit device according to the invention applied thereto,

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of a shut-off and selector valve device in the inoperative position,

Fig. 3 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 2 showing the valves in the operative positions,

Fig. 4 is a plan of the control valve shown in Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a modified control valve arrangement. y Y

Referring first to Fig. 1 the apparatus provided by the invention comprises a reservoir I within which is disposed a pump'2 which normally causes circulation of liquid, preferably oil, from the reservoir i through an conduit 5, the arrangement object to provide arrangements of control or seflowing hydraulic circuit is uti- Y l8 and Hi, the

a selected servomotor municating with the inlet port passages 25; Communication between each pasoutward conduit 3. valve of the valves in the housing t being, as hereinafter described, such that when the valve is actuated the return conduit 5 is completely closed and the pressure built up by the pump is a number of conduits B to a servomotor through which a graduated efiort is transmitted to the device or mechanism under control- As it frequently happens under control requires power impulses for different purposes at different times, it is desirable to provide simple means whereby the appropriate diversion of power can be quickly and effectively made. One form of mechanism for achieving this object is enclosed by the valve'housing 4 and, is shown in detail in Figs. housing contains a centrally disposed, axially movable shut-off valve lector valves arranged radially around the said shut-off valve. Liquid delivered by the pump through conduit 3 enters the valve housing 4 through a port 9 communicating by a short passage "I with a chamber ll containing a seating IZ-for the shut-off valve 8, municating by a passage having a port 5 to the reservoir for recirculation. The shut-off valve member. 8 has a head l6 beneath which bears a spring l1 in the open position shown in Fig. 2. Each selector valve consists of a sleeve 18 being ports 20 and being slidably mounted within the sleeve l9 which is itself slidable within a socket pairyof sleeves 2| formed in the valve housing 4. The two sleeves la -and I9 are normally urged apart b the action of a spring 22.- The base'oisleeve l9 has a hollow projection 23 which enters a passage a radial passage 25 with the inlet port 9. In the arrangement illustrated there are four selector valves, l8. l9 arranged equidistantly around the shut-oi! valve 8 and 9 by four radial sage 24 and each passage 25 is normally cut off by a valve 26 held on its seat, as shown in Fig. 2. by a spring 21. The valves are operated by plungers 2% movable axially in the cover 29 of the housing '4. Each plunger carries pivotally at its lower end ,a beam 30. oneend of which rests upon the upperend of the selector valve sleeve 18 and the other end rests uponthe head is of the 'shutthese beams lie at right, angles the one of! valve and as will be seen from the pl'am'Fig. 4; 3mm? that a device 2, 3 and 4. This valve 8 and a number of sethis chamber ll com- IS with achamber l4 i 15 from which liquid normally. leaves the housing and returns through conduitwhich normally holds the valve provided with I 2'4 of greater diameter, this passage communicating through capable of com work. When the all iour normally resting idly upon the head l8 of the shut-on val've. To enable the Valves to be operated there is provided a-handle 3| which in its normal and inoperative position is vertical as shown in Fig. 2. This handle is fixed to a boss 32 which has a partially spherical socket 33 element 34 mounted at cover 29. The boss 32 has four radial arms 36 each of which bears upon the head of one of the plungers 28. The port I is connected by the return conduit 5 to the reservoir I and each passage 24 and the base of each socket 2| communicate by a short passage 31 and a port 38 with a conduit 8 connected to one '01 the group of hydraulic servomotors mechanism contained within the housing 4.

To operate the valve above'described the handle 3| is moved to an inclined position, as shown.

in Fig. 3, this movement causing depression of one of the plungers 28 and closure of the shutoir valve 8. Normally, the circulating fluid takes the path indicated by the broken line from port 9 into chamber I4 and thence back to the reservoir, a certain proportion of this liquid passing through the ports 28 and following the course of the broken line to the servo cylinder 1 but not being under pressure this liquid can do no plunger 28.is depressed, however, it also depresses the ported sleeve I8 compressing the spring 22 until the sleeve I9 is also depressed to bear upon and open the valve 28 controlled vby the valve in its base adapted to engage over a fixed ball 5 35 in the centre of the thereby allowing the liquid under pressure, which can no longer pass the shut-01f valve 8, to flow through passage 25 to port 38 and the servomotor which is thereby operated. The interposition of the spring 22 between the valve sleeves 8 and I9 gives a travel proportional to the applied eflort which in turn produces a proportional pressure in the servomotor cylinder. This servomotor is only operated so long as the handle 3| is held in the position shown in Fig. 3 or in one of the three other possible inclined positions. As soon as the handle 3| is released, the springs I! and 22 restore the valve members to the positions shown in Fig. 2 and the hydraulic circuit is restored without transmission of eflort'to any of the servomotors.

The four point power distributing valve constructed and operating as above described is suitable to control the operations of a gun turret for example. Left or right hand movement of the arm 3| would give left or right hand rotation of the turret and backward or forward movement of the arm 3| would be used to give elevation or depression of the gun.

In the modified arrangement shown in Fig. 5, the shut-01f valve 8 is arranged and operated in the same manner as described with reference to Figs. 2 and 3 but instead of employing a selector valve consisting-of cooperating sleeves, the arrangement of Fig. 5 employs a, single valve member 39 having a passage 48 and communieating ports 4| and 42 to cooperate with the passage 25 and port 31 respectively. This valve member, when in the position shown, shuts ofl the end of passage 25 and enables the hydraulic fluid to circulate through passage l0, chamber H and passage l3 back to the chamber 4 from which the fluid returns to the reservoir I as already described. The head of each valve member 39 is pivotally connected at 43 to a beam 30 operated by a plunger 28, and when the respective plunger is depressed, the chamber H and passage l3 are shut off and the ports 4| 4 and 42 are brought into coincidence with passage 25 and port 31 respectively, the latter com,- municating with the passage 38 and conduit leading to the respective servomotor. A shoulder 39 on eachvalve member 39 limits its downward movement to ensure coincidence of its ports with the end of passage 25 and port 31 respectively.

en the pressure on a plunger 28 is relaxed, spring l1 restores the shut-oil valve 8 to the open position shown, and a. spring 39 connecting each valve member 39 to elevates the valve member which has been depressed and restores it to the position shown.

The spring 39 for each valve member 39 is weaker than the spring I? for the shut-01f valve 8 when'a valve member 39 and the shut-off valve 8 are both 'in lowered position, in order shut-ofl' valve 8 may be first restored to normal open position and enable the circuit through ed to said housing, a shut-01f valve interposed 'between the inlet and outlet of the housing for controlling the circulation of fluid therethrough, said shut-0d valve being normally urged to open position, a number of selector valves disposed operatively in positions parallel to saidshutwfi valve and each communicating with the inlet side of the shut-oil valve and adapted to control the flow of .pressure fluid to one of said servomotors, a number of depressible plungers each'having a beam pivoted to its lower end, one end of said beam bearing upon the shut-off valve and the other end of said beam bearing upon a selector valve, a common actuating member adapted to engage selectively any one of said plungers to cause diversion of pressure fluid from the inlet to the appropriate servomotor, and spring means for restoring the -parts to inoperative positions after operation. I

2. Hydraulic control mechanism comprising a valve housing having an inlet and an outlet, means connected to the inlet andoutlet for circulating fluid under pressure through said housing, a number of hydraulic servomotors connected to said housing, tween the inlet and outlet of the housing for controlling the circulation of fluid therethrough, said shut-off valve being position, a number of selector valves disposed operatively in positions parallel to said shut-off valve and each communicating with the inlet side of the shut-off valve and adapted to control the.

for hydraulic operating a valve housing having the fixed cover 29- that the a shut-01f valve interposed benormally urged to open an inlet and an outlet adapted to be connected to the outward and return conduits of a hydraulic circuit, and passages adapted to be connected to jecting out ofsaid housing and operable by inclination of said lever, a beam mounted pivotally on the inner end of each plunger and adapted to operate the shut-off valve and a selector valve, and spring means for restoring the parts to normal positions after operation.

4. A control wherein each of said selector valves comprises relatively movable members between which said spring means is interposed, said members bein movable inparallelism with said shut-oi! valve.

5. A control device according to claim 3, wherein said selector valves each comprises a pair of telescopic sleeves which are relatively slidable one within the other, and between which said spring means is interposed, said sleeves being movable in parallelism with the axis of said shut-ofl valve.

device according to claim 3,'

6. A control device according to claim 3, wherein said selector valves each comprises a valve member for controlling communication between the outward conduit of the hydraulic circuit and the respective servomotor, and a pair of telescopic members operable by the respective beam to open said valve member, said telescopic members having ports adapted to communicate with the return conduit of the hydraulic circuit and the respective servomotor, the latter port being controlled by the operation of said telev scopic members to open said valve member.

STANLEY HOWARD EDGE. narnanncns crrnn The following references are of record in the file of this patent: v

UNITED STATES PATENTS Italy 1939 

